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It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.

Today: Phoebe Lapine from Feed Me Phoebe shows us how to make sweet and spicy candied ginger from scratch.

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Despite my life-long dedication to candy as a food group, I’ve always been a bit too intimidated to make it. This could be for several reasons, the first being that I don’t own a candy thermometer. The second reason is that anything that becomes hot enough to require a candy thermometer runs the risk of burning your finger and/or tongue when you try to taste it mid-process. I learned this lesson when I nearly took off my index fingerprints trying to taste a simmering pan of caramel. Not smart.

But as the holiday season approaches, I have my mind set on making large quantities of candied ginger to include in this trail mix as a homemade gift. People always ask me about my recipe process, and the truth is, it usually begins with Google.

As I bopped around the internet, the method that seemed the easiest and most intuitive was Alton Brown’s. His technique was simple: simmer the ginger in water until tender, drain, then combine the ginger with an equal amount of sugar and some reserved cooking liquid. I thought that last element was rather clever, as the gingery cooking liquid adds even more flavor to the sugar crystals that eventually form as the water slowly evaporates. You know it’s done when there’s no liquid left in the pan, and the candied ginger looks just like what you’d buy at the store, only better. No candy thermometer necessary.

Most recipes call for the ginger to be transferred to a cooling rack. I don’t own one of these either, but a parchment-lined baking sheet seemed to do a fine job. Best of all, the ginger cooled much more quickly than I imagined, which meant a speedy taste test and minimal tongue burns to show for it.

Peel the ginger and cut it into the thinnest possible slices using a mandolin or chef’s knife. Place the slices in a medium saucepan and cover with enough water to submerge them. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender. The slices will be a deeper shade of yellow and have a more rubbery consistency. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid and drain.

Return the ginger to the pot along with the reserved cooking liquid and the sugar. Bring to a rapid simmer over a high flame. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to simmer the ginger, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the sugar begins to crystallize, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to a cooling rack or parchment-lined sheet pan. Spread in an even layer until cool enough to touch. Discard the excess ginger sugar, or reserve for another use. Store the candied ginger in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

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Phoebe is a cookbook author, private chef, culinary instructor, competitive french fry eater, and owner of one too many frilly aprons. You can find her healthy comfort food and gluten-free finds on www.FeedMePhoebe.com

Keep a cup of the ginger water and add all the leftover sugar. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup of pistachios (shelled). Cook to 300 degrees and add ½ tsp of baking soda and 1 TB butter (optional). Pour into greased cookie sheet and spread it out evenly but don't overwork it. When it has cooled break it into small(ish) pieces. You end up with delicious Pistachio Brittle which gives a wonderful ginger kick after you eat it. I made a large batch and it was gone in 2 days (oh, I had help eating it!).

@ Stacy Green, I was just looking into doing my own crystallized ginger because of some ginger cherry scones I had eaten. amazing! Hope you find some other equally great recipes for the ginger. I'm going to try making my own as it is so expensive to buy.

One thing I don't see mentioned is the medicinal value of candied ginger. Anytime one of us has experienced mild stomach upset, a piece of candied ginger calms the issue down. We always have a supply in the refrigerator.

As someone who loves candied ginger with a passion (instead of the requisite $20 in my pocket, I found a handful of the stuff when I took my winter coat out of storage), I am totally thankful for this recipe!

I like the fact that the ginger is in slices...I will have to try that next time. I have been making my own version for over a year now. The primary purpose is for the syrup which we use primarily for our own gingerale but also for drinks, fruit salads, and tea. I peel and slice the ginger into large pieces, chop in the food processor for large chunks, add to simple syrup and cook for 30-60 minutes. I drain the ginger, put on a silpat and place in the oven until starting to dry and then coat with sugar and dry a bit more. I end up with what I call ginger sprinkles. We use it on cereal,in fruit salads,and eat it by the handful. I started doing this when I had to hand slice 2 lbs of ginger. I also invert the syrup by adding cream of tartar to improve shelf life.

Keep the ginger water, add an equal amount of sugar (including the extra from candying the ginger), heat, and you've got a great ginger simple syrup for making amazing cocktails or your own ginger ale!